Anhydrous iron phosphate has a wide range of applications, with lithium-ion batteries as its emerging demand end.

Iron phosphate, also known as iron orthophosphate and ferric iron phosphate, has a chemical formula of FePO4 and is an inorganic compound. According to different preparation processes, iron phosphate can be subdivided into two categories: anhydrous iron phosphate and dihydrate iron phosphate. Anhydrous iron phosphate refers to iron phosphate made through dehydration process. It has the advantages of stable chemical properties, good oxidation resistance, good UV resistance, and strong hiding power. It is used in the fields of synthetic rubber, water treatment, coatings, batteries, etc. widely.

The main production process of anhydrous ferric phosphate includes raw material preparation, mixing, precipitation, filtration, cleaning, drying, high-temperature sintering, etc. The traditional anhydrous ferric phosphate preparation process has shortcomings such as easy environmental pollution, high energy consumption, high production costs, and complex preparation processes, resulting in low anhydrous ferric phosphate output and poor quality. In recent years, with the improvement of independent research and development capabilities of local enterprises, my country’s anhydrous ferric phosphate preparation technology has continued to improve. Emerging processes such as the iron red method, ferrous oxalate method, and all-wet method are gradually being applied in the preparation of anhydrous ferric phosphate.

Anhydrous iron phosphate is widely used in synthetic rubber, water treatment, coatings, batteries and other fields. In the field of synthetic rubber, anhydrous iron phosphate can be used as a rubber additive, which can improve the oxidation resistance, machinability and durability of rubber; in the field of water treatment, anhydrous iron phosphate can be used as a precipitant, corrosion inhibitor, etc. Treatment agents can effectively control the phosphorus content in water; in the field of coatings, anhydrous ferric phosphate can be used to produce household appliance coatings, automotive coatings, and architectural coatings.

According to the “2023-2028 China Anhydrous Ferric Phosphate Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center , the battery field is an emerging demand end for anhydrous iron phosphate, which can be used to produce lithium iron phosphate cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. In recent years, with the support of national policies and technological progress, the development speed of my country’s lithium-ion battery industry has continued to accelerate. According to data released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, my country’s lithium-ion battery production will reach 750GWh in 2022, a year-on-year increase of more than 130%. Anhydrous iron phosphate and lithium carbonate can be used as iron phosphate precursors for lithium-ion batteries. As the development of downstream industries accelerates, my country’s anhydrous ferric phosphate market demand will further grow.

The main manufacturers of anhydrous ferric phosphate in my country include Chuanheng Co., Ltd., Batian Co., Ltd., CNNC Titanium Dioxide, Wanrun New Energy, Hezong Technology, etc. Chuanheng Co., Ltd. focuses on the research and development, production and sales of phosphates and phosphoric acid-related products. At present, the company’s 100,000-ton anhydrous ferric phosphate project per year has been officially put into production.

Industry analysts said that as the prosperity of the lithium-ion battery industry increases, the demand for anhydrous iron phosphate applications in my country continues to grow. At present, Chinese companies continue to increase their investment in research and development of anhydrous ferric phosphate, driving its technological maturity to continue to improve. It is expected that in the future, with the continued efforts of local enterprises and the growing demand for downstream products, the prosperity of my country’s anhydrous ferric phosphate industry will improve.